


Worst Idea Ever

by BeccaBear93



Series: All Together Now [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Conventions, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Pax Prime 2015, Polyamory, Strip Poker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-21 00:31:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6031575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaBear93/pseuds/BeccaBear93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Mark invites Jack to room with him at PAX and immediately regrets it because of his stupid schoolboy crush.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be completely honest, I have no idea what this is or where it's going. Parts of it are already written, parts of it aren't. Parts of it (like this first chapter, which is more of a prologue than anything) were actually written months ago, just a few days after the amazingness that was PAX actually happened. Then I dropped it and only came back to it about a week ago and don't remember anything that I had planned for this fic. Except polyamory, because Wiishu is way too awesome to just pretend she doesn't exist (even if she doesn't technically have an appearance in this, oops), and her and Jack are way too cute to say that they break up, even in fiction. So... Yeah, no idea what's going to happen with this or how long it will be or how OOC it will get, but I hope someone out there enjoys it :)

"Hey Mark," Jack says the moment he answers Mark's Skype call. "What's up?"

"Hey," he answers. "Umm... I was just wondering."

"Yeah?"

"At PAX. Do you want to share a room? I mean, it would be cheaper, and we could hang out more that way, and of course Bob and Wade already have people that they'll be with--" Mark abruptly cuts himself off, realizing with embarrassment that he's rambling.

Jack doesn't seem to notice, though. He just lets out a huff of laughter and says, "Sure. That'd be great. You have anywhere in mind already?"

"Great. Uh, there are a couple of hotels pretty close to the convention center," he says, quickly finding and sending the links to Jack. That was so much simpler than expected, though he's not sure why he thought it would be particularly difficult to convince him.

\-----

"I've made a terrible mistake," Mark laments, pacing his living room floor.

Wade sighs. "I'm sure you're being overdramatic, Mark. What's wrong?"

"Uh--I--Shit."

His friend waits patiently for another minute, but when Mark shows no sign of continuing, he pushes a bit. "You know you can tell me. It's okay."

"Well... Okay, so, I might have asked Jack to share a room with me at PAX."

"...Okay? And the problem with that is what?"

"Don't you get it, Wade?" Mark wails.

"No! Obviously I don't!"

Mark groans. "Do I really have to say it out loud? You're my best friend, aren't you supposed to be able to read my mind or something?"

"...Oh," Wade says eventually. "Well, I'm not a mindreader, but I guess I can figure out why you'd be freaking out and not wanting to say anything."

"Finally!" he says, throwing up the hand that isn't holding the phone.

"You _like_ him," Wade sing-songs childishly.

"Shut up..."

"Nope! You obviously wanted to talk about it, so we're talking."

"...Fine." He makes a good point. Mark had been the one to call, after all.

"There is one thing, though. Um, not that I really care," Wade hastens to reassure. "But you've always said you were straight. You never even told _me_ otherwise." He sounds a bit hurt.

"I am!" Mark says defensively. After a pause, he falls onto the couch, buries his face in his hands, and continues, "Or at least, I thought I was. I guess Jack's the exception."

"Oh. Okay. So is that what's bothering you so much? That you aren't _quite_ as straight as you've always thought?"

"No. No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?" Any hint of teasing has left Wade's voice, and he just sounds concerned for his friend.

"I don't know, it's just... weird. He's my friend. And he has a girlfriend!"

"That doesn't mean you can just stop yourself from liking him. It just means you shouldn't go after him." Wade pauses, sighing. "I'm sorry, man. I know that's not what you want to hear. I know you; you'll want to either make it go away or run head-on into it all."

Mark runs his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I can't deny that, but you're right. Thanks."

"What are friends for? ...And on that note, are you going to tell Bob?"

"Yeah. I need a bit of time to calm down, though, so I can actually say what I want to. I was kind of panicking when I called you."

Wade laughs. "I noticed."

"Well, I'll let you get going; I know it's getting late over there. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Bye, Wade. And thanks, again."

"No problem, Mark. Bye."

Mark sighs and drops the phone on the couch. So he just has to hide this stupid crush from Jack while staying in a hotel room with him for four days and five nights, and not make a move on him during that time, while still interacting with him enough to be a good friend and please the fangirls. Totally simple.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live in the Seattle area (ish. I'm about an hour away), so you may notice some stupid jokes about it. I do apologize for any details I got wrong, though. It's been a few years since I've been to either Sea-Tac or the Convention Center, and I've never actually stayed at the Sheraton.

When Mark arrives in Seattle, he has just enough time to go to the rental car company and spend an hour trying to solve the problem when they insist that hadn’t reserved the car he had definitely reserved. Then it’s straight back to the airport to pick up Jack.

When the plane’s arrival sis announced, Mark stands up and searches for his friend. After several minutes with no luck, he starts to worry that they missed each other.

Suddenly, there’s a tap on his shoulder. He whips around to see Jack grinning at him. “Hey there, Markimoo!”

“Jack!” He grins back, and they stand awkwardly for a few moments before sharing a quick hug. “Good to see you, man!”

“You too! You got the car, right?” he asks, looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows as though he could spot it outside.

Mark rolls his eyes. “It was probably more hassle than it was worth, but yes, I got the car.”

Jack laughs. “You can tell me all about it on the way there.”

Mark nods in agreement, and they begin their slow journey through the flood of people to the parking garage.

\-----

When they check into the hotel, Mark sees the look of curiosity on the woman’s face before it quickly fades back to neutral. Jack doesn’t seem to notice, too busy taking in every grandiose detail of the place.

They drop their luggage in their room, and Mark falls onto a bed, sprawling out and claiming it as his own. Jack laughs and sits on the edge of the other bed, bouncing a bit.

Mark glances at his watch. “Everyone wanted to meet for dinner in about an hour. That cool with you?”

“Sure,” he agrees, nodding. “It’ll be great to see ‘em all.”

“Yeah, it’s been too long.” A few seconds of silence pass, and then Mark moans, trying to press himself deeper into the pillows. “This bed feels like heaven. I might just sleep for the next hour.”

Jack looks at him skeptically. “Do you think you’ll be able to leave if you do?”

“Probably not,” he admits, sitting up with a sigh. “What do you want to do, then?”

“Well, it’s probably not enough time to explore the city,” Jack complains. He points to the television. “Wanna just watch something for a while?”

Mark agrees, and they flip through the channels. Not finding anything interesting, they turn to the hotel’s on-demand movies. They’re overpriced, but what difference does a few more dollars make to this ridiculous trip?

They skim through the options, which seem to be split into two extremes: “extremely well-advertised blockbuster hit that everybody has seen” and “has anybody ever even _heard_ of this?”

Eventually, they come across the description for an old horror flick that sounds incredibly cheesy. The men turn to each other with matching grins, silently agreeing upon it.

There are a few moments that make Mark jump, but mostly they spend the time laughing and complaining about the obviously fake gore.

Sometime later, Mark checks his watch and swears. “We’re late!”

They switch off the TV and run out the door. Since the restaurant is nearby, they decide it would be faster to just walk than to brave Seattle traffic.

When they arrive late with flushed cheeks and windswept hair, Wade raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment. Mark shoots him a warning glare, and he just shrugs and raises his hands in surrender.

Most of the party doesn’t notice, wrapped up in greetings, but Molly and Felix catch the interaction and send them confused looks. Their curiosity goes unanswered, and they don’t push.

Mark says his hellos to everyone, excited to see all the friends that he so rarely gets to meet with in person. He hugs Bob and Wade before taking a seat. They have three tables pushed together to fit the group, with only a few seats left. He’s partially disappointed and partially relieved when Jack doesn’t sit in the empty spot next to him, instead sitting between Felix and Ken. Evidently the disappointment shows on his face, because Wade takes one look at him and hides a snicker behind his hand. He’s never going to live this down.

“Well, now that you two showed up, we can finally order,” Mandy jokes.

“Sorry,” Mark says, rubbing the nape of his neck and smiling sheepishly.

“I’m just teasing,” she says, shrugging it off.

They wave down a waitress and place their orders. She keeps a professional smile and tone, but her exhaustion and frustration with the large group and their noise are easy to see. “That’ll be right out,” she says as they all pass over their menus, and Mark makes a mental note to leave her a large tip.

While they eat, everyone catches up. Both the conversation and the food are great, and they take a few pictures and short videos that may or may not get posted to their channels or various social media. It’s always a good idea to record a little extra on these trips, for both themselves and the fans.

Long after their meals are finished, they decide it’s time to go their separate ways for the night. As he’d promised himself, Mark leaves a substantial tip for their waitress. As they walk out the door, he watches her pick it up from the corner of his eye. Her eyes widen, and the look on her face is more than worth it.

“Oh, are you guys walking, too?” Mark asked when he noticed Bob and Mandy heading the same direction as them. At his words, Jack, who was a few feet ahead of the others, turned to face them, walking backwards.

“Yeah, we’re just at the Sheraton,” Bob answered, pointing in the direction of the hotel.

“Hey, so are we!” Jack said happily. He bumped into a few people, who glared and muttered curses under their breath before hurrying along on their way. He grimaced and faced forward again, slowing down a bit to let the other three catch up.

At the word ‘we,’ Bob raises an eyebrow at Mark. He shrugs guiltily. He had told his friend about the little issue of his feelings for Jack, but he might have kind of forgotten to mention the part where they booked a hotel room together.

“That’s great,” Mandy says. She nudges Jack with her elbow and smiles mischievously. “Maybe we should all get together for a few drinks one of these nights.”

“Sounds good to me. Maybe we should wait until after the convention, though.” He puts his hand up to his mouth and stage-whispers, “I bet Mark’s a lightweight. We don’t want ‘im doing a panel with a hangover.”

“Good idea,” she says, giggling at the glare that Mark shoots them.

After a few minutes, they reach the hotel and head for their rooms. They wave goodbye when the elevator stops at Mark and Jack’s floor. Mark unlocks the door and Jack follows him in, collapsing onto his bed. “That was fun.”

“Yeah, it was. I’m ready to just unwind now, though. The real insanity starts tomorrow.”

“Agreed,” Jack says. He grins over at his friend. “Wanna finish the movie?”

“Definitely,” Mark answers, matching the expression as he reaches for the remote.

\-----

By the time the movie ends, Mark is getting fidgety. “Hey, I’m gonna go talk to Bob. I’ll be back in a while, okay?” He really should explain the situation. And get out of this room. It’s not that he can’t control himself; of course he can. It just might be a little less uncomfortable if he got out for a while.

“Huh? Oh, okay,” Jack says, blinking up at him. “I’ll just… be here. I was going to answer some stuff from fans anyways.” He digs his laptop out of his bag and starts it up while Mark slips on his shoes.

“Alright. See you later,” he says, not sure why he feels so incredibly awkward as he shuffles out the door.

\-----

When Mark reenters the room a few hours later, Jack is smiling softly down at his phone. “Ooh, texting your girlfriend?” he asks.

Jack looks up, still smiling. Even though he knows Mark is teasing him, he answers honestly. “Yeah. I wish she could’ve come. She’d love it here.”

Mark forces a smile and jokes, “She likes rain, wind, and people trying to run you over every time you cross a street?”

“Well, I don’t know about all that, but she likes big cities,” Jack says, laughing.

Mark sits on his bed and watches the other man for a few seconds, debating with himself. Eventually, he says, “You should see if you can bring her along for the next convention. I mean, everyone else brings their girlfriends and wives, and it’d be nice to meet her.”

Jack smiles at him, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’d love to, but… Well, we don’t see each other that often as it is. It’s hard to plan international trips. I’ll mention the idea, though.” In fact, he decides to text her immediately.

He shrugs. “Okay. I just thought I’d make the suggestion.”

“Signe says she’d love to come, if a convention happens to be at a time when we can make it work.”

“Great,” Mark answers with a genuine smile. So maybe he’s a _little_ jealous, but more than that, he really is excited to possibly meet the woman who stole Jack’s heart. There’s no doubt in his mind that she’s an amazing person. And maybe actually talking to her and seeing that for himself will help kill off his own feelings.

Jack checks the time on his phone and says, “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit the hay. Need to be all ready and recharged for tomorrow!”

“Right,” Mark agrees. He digs a pair of old pajamas out of his suitcase and heads to the bathroom to get ready. By the time he’s finished, Jack has already crawled into bed. Mark follows suit and flips off the lamp. “Goodnight, Jack.”

“Night, Mark.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is where it all started. The "proposal" scene was the very first one I wrote, back in... September, I think? If you want to skip what's basically just a recap of what happened at the Markiplier & Friends panel with some details and thoughts thrown in, feel free to skip to the second section.
> 
> Whew, this chapter is... so much longer than it was supposed to be. Originally, it was about half this length, but it would have been awkward to cut it off where I did. And then there's actually a scene continuing where this ends, but... Well, it has to end somewhere, and I really wanted to get this posted tonight, so you'll have to wait to see that.
> 
> Finally, I'd like to make a formal apology for Mandy's characterization. The truth is, I know absolutely nothing about her beyond the fact that she's Bob's wife. That might not be such an issue, except that she became a much bigger part of this chapter than I planned. So I'm really sorry, she's basically just an OC with a familiar name.

The panels on Saturday and Sunday are amazing, and Mark has a lot of fun being up onstage and basically just hanging out with friends he doesn't see often, even if there are a few minor hitches.  
The biggest of these problems comes after he all but begs someone to propose and then brings up the lucky couple to congratulate them when someone finally does.

He's talking about how amazing it is to share such a life-changing experience at their panels, and trying to make it clear that anyone else who wants to propose can come up and do so. Then somebody in the audience calls out, suggesting that Jack wants to propose next.

"No, Jack's not next," Mark answers, holding back a laugh. He continues on his spiel, wanting to make sure that anyone who has such as huge a plan as a proposal can get the chance to do so, but Jack interrupts him after a few seconds.

"Bob, read the next question..." Jack's laughing a bit, but he also sounds a bit exasperated.

'What the hell?' Mark thinks, wondering why Jack interrupted and why he seems annoyed. He gives a confused shrug to show his thoughts, then turns to the screen and laughs when he finally gets it. "Oh, okay!"

"I thought that was what you were getting at when you were doing this whole spiel. This has been on the screen the whole time," Bob says. "Was that not...?"

"Oh, no. I didn't see that," Mark answers. It was just really good (or bad, depending on how you looked at it) timing.

"Okay... I thought he was begging for this, this... You're gonna laugh, just wait," Bob tells the audience. He's already laughing a bit himself.

"It's gonna be soo funny," Mark mocks.

"It's gonna be awesome. I gotta go." He's having way too much fun with this, and judging by the look on Wade's face, he is, too. Why do his friends want to make him suffer so badly? Oh, right. Because that's just how the three of them work, how they've always worked.

"Jack, do you have a proposal speech for Mark, heart heart heart?" Bob reads out.

Mark remembers the time before Indy Popcon when Jack had done a Reading Your Comments video in which he described his (fake, obviously) plan to propose to him, and briefly wonders if this was meant to be part of an ongoing joke or was completely unconnected. He doesn't have long to think about it, though, because he has to face the music sooner rather than later. He forces himself to glance up at Jack, who looks like he's somewhere between wanting to laugh, wanting to kill the person who sent the question, and wanting to kill himself. It's a pretty strange combination. Jack looks at him, blushing a bit, and stutters something out, but Mark can't quite hear what it is over the sudden roaring applause, laughter, and shrill fangirl squealing.

Jack starts to step forward slowly, hesitantly, but stops while Bob speaks again. "Does anybody have a question? A question?" Bob imitates Mark's earlier rant, making hand motions like opening a ring box, and even Mark himself can't help but laugh. "I thought you were just begging for this the whole time."

Mark resists the urge to glare at Bob and risk giving himself away, but only just barely. "No, no... No."

Bob starts to say something else, but Mark ignores him in favor of focusing back on Jack, who has moved a bit closer. He knows exactly what's coming, and he knows that it's all a joke, but apparently his heart doesn't quite understand that, as it still skips a beat when Jack kneels down in front of him. He doesn't let it show, though, just stands still and waits to see what exactly his friend will do.

"Oh dear heartthrob of Youtube," he begins, and Mark barely stops himself from laughing at the use of the title from yesterday's panel. After a few moments of silence, he realizes he should actually be doing something to play along, and holds his hands together near his chest like a swooning schoolgirl. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Wade acting like he's either fanboying or crying; hard to tell which.

Jack's head drops, and Mark knows exactly the kind of thoughts that are running through his head, because they're playing in his, too. Things like 'What has my life come to?' and 'Why do we have a huge audience that always just wants us to act like lovers when we aren't?'

Then Jack looks over his shoulder, at the audience. "You proud of me, Mom?" he screams, and Mark takes half a second to be surprised that he didn't say "Ma."

"Why are you crying?" he asks, though Jack clearly isn't. But hey, the shippers in the back can't see that. Half the people in the front probably can't, between the fact that Jack's facing him and the lights are so freaking bright on the stage.

"Will you please share your subscribers with me for the rest of our lives?" Jack asks, opening the 'ring box' and startling laughter out of the other three.

When Mark finishes laughing and looks back down at Jack, the bastard just looks so pleased with himself for coming up with something clever and funny to say. Mark immediately feels the need to wipe that smirk off his face. The best he can do right now is to close the 'box' and push Jack away and adamantly repeat "No" as many times as he can.

Jack goes back to his chair to pout, though it doesn't last long as his fake disgust with Wade's comfort apparently outweighs his fake disappointment at Mark's rejection. "Oh, Jesus!" he yells, jumping up and running away. "You see what happened? I got comforted by Wade," he says accusingly. Mark just hums in amusement.

"And we're back," Wade says, apparently deciding that it's his turn to pout as he plops down on the couch.

"Alright, okay, alright, okay, alright, cool, cool, cool, cool..." Mark rambles as he tries to think of something to say. He hopes he doesn't seem as awkward after all that as he feels. "I really didn't see that question."

"Yeah, neither did I," Jack chimes in, laughing.

"I was just like-- for some reason, I was just like, 'Boing! Oh yeah, that's a thing that happened!'"

"The whole time, I was just like, 'Man, Mark's really building this up. I wonder if he-- I wonder if he and Jack worked this out beforehand,'" Bob replies, making Mark laugh again. He does a little dance. "Jack's moving to L.A.!"

Jack ignores the comment, pointing to the screen. "Last question!" Mark can't deny his relief at the fact that Jack is just as eager to move on from this whole thing as he is. Calling out their catchphrase of "Septiplier away!" and holding hands for a few seconds for the fans and cameras is one thing. Making a joke of a wedding proposal is something else entirely, and Mark feels so awkward that he can't wait to pretend it never happened.

\-----

Luckily, the awkwardness has dissipated by the time the panel has ended, and they joke about over dinner with their friends.

“So…” Felix drawls with a devious smirk. “I heard that you two are getting married. Why didn’t you tell me?” He tries to give them a convincing pout but ends up laughing instead.

Mark drops his face into his hand. He should’ve expected this.

“Actually, Mark rejected my proposal,” Jack says, shooting him a fake glare. “Oh well, I’m too good for him anyway.”

“Hey!”

“It’s really too bad,” Wade says, snickering. “Me and Bob were so excited for them!”

“Oh yeah, definitely,” Bob agrees after Wade nudges him with an elbow. “I don’t know what Mark was thinking. I mean, they’re clearly meant for each other.”

“I hate you all,” Mark groans, though he can’t help but laugh along, especially when he sees how red Jack’s face has gotten. At least he’s not the only one who has to put up with all the teasing.

“Love you too, Mark,” Felix chimes, making a heart with his hands and batting his eyelashes ridiculously.

“I bet he would’ve said yes if it wasn’t basically a dare,” Molly says conspiratorially.

“Can we please talk about something else now?” Jack asks, dropping his head to the table. His shoulders are shaking with silent laughter, though.

“Come on, guys,” Ken chips in. “Let’s give ‘em a break.”

Mark sends a grateful look to Ken, who just smiles back and quickly changes the subject. Unsurprisingly, the conversation turns to making fun of Felix within a few minutes, but he’s a good sport and plays along with a grin the whole time.

\-----

“I call the shower!” Mark yells as soon as they get back to the hotel room. He laughs at Jack’s groan. “It’s been a long fucking day, and I am ready to shower and pass out.” Conventions always seem like fun until he’s actually in the middle of them. Well, they are fun, but they’re also exhausting. It’s all constant movement, panels and signings and meeting fans and trying to find a few free moments to go out with friends or check out other parts of the convention.

Jack hums as though in agreement, but Mark can tell from the look in his eyes that he’s still wired. The man seems to have endless energy sometimes. “You sure you don’t wanna take up Mandy’s offer of drinks?”

He raises an eyebrow. “I thought you said we were doing that after the convention.”

Jack shrugs. “We’re leaving Tuesday morning, so we’ll have to get up early to get ready. None of us have to be there ‘til later tomorrow, though. I thought maybe it’d be fun to just do it tonight.”

Mark makes a face, making a show of struggling with the decision, but his mind is already made up. Of course he can’t turn down more time with his friends for sleep. “Alright, let’s do it. I really do need to shower first, though.”

“Awesome. I’ll go talk to Bob and Mandy about it, make sure it really is okay with them.”

“You do that,” Mark says, grabbing his towel and clothes before entering the bathroom.

\-----

He steps out a while later in just jeans to find Jack staring at his phone again. When he looks up, though, Jack wolf-whistles with a cheeky grin. "Lookin' good, Mark!" he says, and Mark freezes for a moment.

They have a certain role that they play, on camera, on stage, and it's easy. It's a silly game, and the fans love it. But here, away from any sort of audience, he isn't quite sure how to react, how to tell whether it's a joke or not. The moment passes, though, and he laughs and flexes his muscles. "Damn right I am!"

Jack just laughs. “Hurry up and put a shirt on; they’re waiting for us!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mark answers, scrubbing his towel over his head a few more times before pulling on his flannel. “Just give me a minute to fix my hair and then I’ll be ready.”

He groans and rolls his eyes. “A minute will turn into 30. I know how you are about your hair, Mark.”

“Hey! I object to that!” Mark says, but he can’t quite keep a straight face. “It really will just take a minute, though. Since we aren’t going out in public, I promise I won’t take forever styling it.”

“You better not…” Jack mutters, and Mark flips him off as he wanders back to the bathroom with a comb.

True to his word, he comes back quickly and slips his shoes on, motioning for Jack to do the same. “Let’s take the stairs,” Mark suggests as he locks the door behind them. “I could do with a bit of exercise; I’m so out of shape it’s ridiculous.”

Jack looks him up and down slowly, humming skeptically, and Mark has to fight down a blush. In the end, though, he agrees. “Guess it can’t hurt.”

“Exactly.” As soon as they enter the stairwell, Mark regrets ever having the idea. It’s so small that they can’t walk without bumping into each other. Every time he tries to hang back and just walk behind Jack, the other man slows down too, eager to discuss everything that’s happened over the last few days. He lets out a quiet sigh and does his best to ignore their proximity until they make it up to Bob’s floor.

When Mark knocks on the door, Mandy answers quickly, gesturing them inside with a sweet smile. He can’t help the immediate suspicion that comes with the seemingly innocent expression.  
“Hey guys,” Bob greets from the bed, motioning for them to sit down.

His wife meanders to the table to get something before joining them. She keeps it hidden behind her back, and Mark watches her suspiciously until she laughs and reveals it. “It’s just a deck of cards, dork. I thought maybe we could play a few rounds of poker or something.” She pauses and glances between him and Jack. “You do both know how to play poker, right?”

“Yep,” Jack confirms.

Mark nods in agreement, but jokes, “You’re going to hustle me out of all my money, aren’t you?”

Mandy shrugs with a laugh. “We don’t have to play for money. We can just make it a drinking game. How about… a one shot penalty for the person with the worst hand each round?”

Everyone agrees, and Bob takes that as his cue. He stands up to get the shot glasses and passes them out, then grabs a bottle. “We got your favorite,” he says happily, holding up the bottle of Fireball for Mark to see.

“Bob, have I told you lately that I love you?” he asks, making the others laugh.

“No, and please don’t.”

“Gotcha,” Mark answers, taking the cards that Mandy deals him. “Well, I hope you all know that I am a world-class poker champion, and I’m going to kick all of your asses.”

\-----

“What was that you said about being a poker champion?” Jack asks, snorting as Mark takes another shot.

He’s not quite sure what number that was. “Hey, you’re not doing any better!” he protests. His head spins a bit when he looks up to focus on Jack’s face, but the world settles after a few seconds.

The Irishman shrugs. “Maybe I’m losing as much as you, but I don’t think I’m as drunk as you are.”

“I’m not drunk, just tipsy,” Mark asserts. “C’mon, next hand.”

“Are you sure you’re okay to keep going?” Mandy asks, looking at him worriedly. She’s only lost once so far. “We can stop if you want.”

“I’m fine,” he insists.

Bob waves it off. “I’ve seen him down a lot more than that before, and he’s not slurring yet. He’ll be fine for a while still.”

“If you’re sure…” she answers, though she doesn’t seem so sure herself. Nonetheless, she deals out the cards again.

Bob loses the next round, and then Mark again. After that, Jack has the terrible luck to lose three in a row. “What the fuck?” he shouts, accent thickening. He takes another shot, then points back and forth between Bob and Mandy. “You two rigged this, didn’t--- whoa.”

Jack closes his eyes and leans back. Mark reaches for his arm to steady him, worried that he’ll fall off the bed, but the other man just shakes him off. “I’m alright,” he says. “Just a little dizzy, is all.”

“Okay, we definitely need to put the Fireball away,” Mandy says, putting it out of reach. “You’re both in terrible shape.”

“We’re fine,” they say simultaneously. They shoot each other a look, but it quickly dissolves into giggles.

“If you want to keep playing, we can have a different penalty,” Mandy suggests with a devious smile.

Mark glares. “I thought you weren’t takin’ our money,” he says accusingly.

“I didn’t say anything about money!”

“Then what do you propose?” Jack asks.

“How about strip poker?” she says, her evil grin growing.

“What the hell?”

Mark’s question is drowned out by Bob’s emphatic, “No way!”

“Aw, are you all scared?” Mandy asks, blinking at them with wide eyes.

“I just don’t want them looking at you!”

She laughs. “Do you really think I’m going to lose, sweetie?”

“Well—I—no,” he admits, relaxing a bit.

“So, what do you say?” Mandy directs her questions at the other two men.

“Fine with me,” Jack says. Mark just shrugs.

Of course, Mark is the first to lose with their new penalty, too. _Maybe I just suck at poker_ , he finally concludes as he kicks off one shoe.

Mandy sighs in disappointment. “Oh, come on! That’s cheating!”

“No it’s not! We didn’t even make any rules!”

“Fine, whatever…”

Surprisingly, she loses the next hand. Since she isn’t wearing shoes, she pulls off a sock. Mark raises an eyebrow. “What? If you’re gonna be cheap about it, then so am I!” she says, making Bob and Jack laugh.

\-----

“Okay, okay, I quit!” Mark says, dropping his cards and throwing his hands up in defeat. He’s down to only his boxers, and he’s not quite willing to lose his last shred of dignity.

“Yeah, I think I’m about done, too,” Jack says. He’s not much better off than Mark, though he does still have his jeans.

Bob and Mandy, on the other hand, have only lost their socks and, for Bob, his jacket. “So soon?” Mandy asks, faking disappointment. “It’s only… oh. 3am. Oops.”

“Guess we should head back,” Jack says, standing up. He wobbles a bit, blinks, and rights himself again.

Marks stands too, grabbing his pants off the floor. He tries to put them on and stumbles. Jack catches him, but nearly falls over himself in the process.

“Maybe you two should help each other on the walk back,” Mandy suggests, stifling a giggle.

“Maybe,” Mark agrees. He tries once again to put his pants on and fails. He gathers up the rest of his clothes and says miserably, “I give up. Let’s just hurry and hope nobody sees.”

“Alright,” Jack says, laughing as he pulls on his own shirt. He slips his feet into his shoes as best he can without leaning down and disrupting his balance again. Then they each throw an arm over each other’s shoulders, peak into the hallway to make sure nobody’s there, and head out, occasionally stumbling to one side or the other.

Mandy leans against Bob, wrapping her arms around one of his with a proud smile. She waits until the door closes before saying, “We did a good thing. How much do you wanna bet they fuck?”

“Ugh, please don’t say that. I… really don’t want to think about it,” Bob says, faking a gag. His wife just laughs and kisses him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just be honest here: I hate this chapter. It's short and was written in the wrong order and nothing came out the way I wanted it to. Ugh. It's done now, though, and hopefully it won't be too long before the next one is up.

“Maybe we should take the elevator this time,” Mark says as he staggers down the hall with Jack. “I don’t know if I can handle stairs right now.”

“Right. Definitely.”

“Thank god no one’s around,” Mark says, eyes darting around the hall while they wait for the elevator. It finally comes and they ride down to their floor, Mark clutching his stomach as it stops. “Maybe the elevator wasn’t such a good idea after all…”

Jack makes a face and leans away, but he can’t go far, since their arms are still around each other. “Are you gonna barf?”

Mark hesitates for a few seconds, staring at the floor, then shakes his head. “Nah, I’m good.”

“I sure hope so…” he says, wrinkling his nose and reluctantly moving closer again.

They support each other back to the room, though by this point Mark’s pretty sure that neither of them really _need_ the support. Maybe they’re a little drunk, and maybe they’re a little dizzy, but it’s not so bad that they’re incapable of walking. He doesn’t speak up or move, though, even when he has to fumble one-handed through his clothes to find the key and unlock the door.

Once they make it inside with the door shut behind them, they stand still in the entrance for a minute. Mark can feel every inch of skin tingling where their sides are connected, and he’s suddenly very aware of and embarrassed by the fact that he’s still nearly naked. Just as he’s about to pull away to make his excuses and go to sleep, Jack moves even closer. Without looking at Mark, he comes around to his front and buries his face in the crook of Mark’s neck, wrapping him in a tight hug.

“Uh, are you okay, Jack?” he asks. He returns the hug, though he’s extremely confused. Jack just hums agreeably and doesn’t loosen his grip.

They stay that way for several minutes. Right when Mark starts to relax, Jack noses at his jaw and moves farther up until they’re suddenly kissing.

Mark hurriedly pushes away. “W-w--” He stutters out the first objection he can think of. “What about Signe?”

Jack stares at him in confusion for a minute before suddenly laughing. “Oh, have I never told you? Well of course, I love her. _So_ much,” he starts, and Mark can’t help the way his heart drops. Then Jack continues, “But we’re in an open relationship.”

“W-what? Why?” Mark stutters, mentally kicking himself for how stupid it comes out.

“We _do_ live in different countries. And neither of us is really the jealous type, so it works,” he answers with a shrug.

“So, what?” Mark asks disbelievingly, “You want to be in _two_ long-distance relationships?”

“If you’ll let me,” he answers quietly. “I can’t help it if the only people I’m interested in both live hundreds of miles away.”

Mark sits down heavily on the bed, running a hand through his hair. “I… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, honestly. I’m too drunk for this. Or maybe not drunk enough,” he amends as he realizes how much the last few minutes have sobered him up.

Jack sighs. “Well, I guess we should start with this; I _really_ like you, Mark. I wanted you even before I met you, and it’s only gotten worse. And I thought I was reading the signs right, but now I’m not so sure. So first things first: are _you_ interested in _me_ , too?”

He gives a disbelieving laugh. “God, Jack, of course I am. I’ve been so stupidly obvious; how can you even doubt that?”

Jack sits down next to Mark, close enough that he can feel the heat coming off his skin. “Okay. Good. Then that’s the most important thing, and we’ll figure the rest out. We’ll talk about it more later, I promise. But for now, can we just…?” he trails off, laying a hand on Mark’s cheek and leaning closer. He stops just a breath away and looks into the other man’s eyes questioningly.

“Okay,” Mark says quietly, nodding mostly to himself. “Okay.” He closes the distance, wrapping a hand around the back of Jack’s neck. Jack pushes forward, smiling into the kiss, and Mark has to use his other hand to support himself against the bed so he doesn’t fall over. He smiles back and lets himself sink into the kiss and forget about everything else for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

Mark wakes up to his alarm blaring and the warm weight of another body over his own. He quickly hits the snooze button, thankful that it didn’t wake Jack up. Then he takes a minute to panic, though it’s muted by the realization that Jack is fully clothed and he… Well, he’s still wearing his boxers, at least. Staring up at the ceiling, he tries to remember the night before. After a few moments, the memories return, blurry but whole. He sighs, relieved but still nervous about what he’ll have to face today.

Jack stirs at the sigh, groaning into Mark’s chest before lifting his head to look at him. “Morning,” he says blearily. “Did you bring any Tylenol?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so,” Mark answers. He usually brings Tylenol and cold and allergy medicine to conventions. You can never be to safe with all the germs and back-breakingly enthusiastic fans. “Just let me check my bag.”

Jack obliges, rolling to the other side of the bed and watching him silently.

“So, umm… Do you remember what happened last night?” Mark asks uneasily.

Jack huffs out a laugh. “I wasn’t _that_ drunk, Mark. Of course I do.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought…” He hands a few pills to Jack and keeps a few for himself before putting the bag away. He fills up the hotel cups with coffee and passes one to Jack, and they each down the medicine.

Mark perches on the edge of the bed, and they watch each other quietly for a few minutes. Eventually, Jack sighs and sits up. “So… I guess we have to talk about this.”

“You said we would.”

Jack raises his hands in surrender. “Yeah, I did. I’m not trying to get out of it or anything. I just don’t even know what there is to say.”

“And I don’t know what to ask.” They fall silent again, until Mark finally speaks up again, blushing slightly. “I know this is a stupid question, but… How does it work?”

“How does what work?” Jack asks, confused. “Are you asking me to explain sex to you, Mark? Well, you see…” He trails off, laughing as Mark’s face reddens more.

“No, no! I just…” He sighs. “Please take this seriously for a while?”

Jack gives him a soft but tired smile. “I am. I really don’t understand what you’re asking, though.”

“How does your… ‘open relationship’ with Signe work?” The words sound foreign coming out of his own mouth. He understands the concept, of course, but he doesn’t have any personal experience with it.

Jack shrugs. “It’s kinda self-explanatory, isn’t it? We’re together, but we can see other people.”

“Are there, like, rules?”

He thinks for a moment. “Well, we have to tell each other if we date or sleep with someone else. And we agreed that we’ll stop if it becomes a problem. If one of us gets jealous or we start fighting or whatever. She’s too important to lose over something stupid like that,” he concludes with a sappy grin. Mark doubts he’s even aware of it.

“Okay. That makes sense,” Mark says, running through the other questions in his mind and trying to assemble them into something that makes sense. “Is she seeing anyone else?”

“Not right now, no.”

“And… Have you told her about… me?” he asks. For some reason, he’s a bit scared to know the answer.

Jack laughs. “Well, obviously I haven’t really had time to tell her about last night, but she’s known about you for a long time. Yes, she knows I’ve had a crush on you forever.” He makes a face at the word. It sounds like something a junior high student would say, but it’s the best description. Whatever he feels for Mark, it isn’t just lust, and it isn’t love, though it could maybe grow to be if it got the chance.

“And…?” Mark pushes. He has to know what her thoughts about this are. He won’t be the one to get in the middle of someone’s relationship. He’s been on the other side of that, and he refuses to hurt anyone like that, ever.

“She told me to go for it. She was glad I was meeting you again and would maybe have a chance with my… er--” He cuts himself off, rubbing the back of his neck and turning his gaze to the window. It doesn’t provide the distraction he was hoping for, since the curtain is still closed, but he can’t bring himself to look back at Mark, either.

“Your what?” Mark asks suspiciously.

“Nothing, forget it,” Jack rushes out.

“No, now I have to know,” he says with a slow smile.

Jack sighs. “My freebie,” he mutters under his breath.

“Huh?”

He rolls his eyes and speaks louder. “We were exclusive for a while, before we decided that this would be better. And you know how some couples have a deal where if they ever got a chance to sleep with someone, or a list of people, they’re allowed to go for it? Well, you were mine.” His ears are burning and he kind of wishes that the floor would open up and swallow him whole. He hadn’t intended to ever tell Mark about that.

“Oh,” Mark says, struck dumb. He can feel his own cheeks heating up, matching Jack’s blush. “Well, that’s, um… flattering.”

“Shut up.”

“No really, it is. But…” he pauses to gather his thoughts. “So, Signe’s really okay with this?”

Jack nods. “It really all comes down to whether _you’re_ okay with it, Mark.”

“I… I think I am,” he answers, surprising himself a bit. “I’m willing to give it a shot at least.”

“Good,” Jack says, beaming at him. He places his hand over Mark’s on the sheets. It’s just meant to be a comforting gesture, because he knows this must be a lot to take in, but Mark flushes. After a few seconds, he flips his own hand over and squeezes Jack’s, smiling back. Jack’s heart skips a beat at the genuine expression of joy, but unfortunately, he has to ruin the moment. “We should get ready.”

Mark glances at the clock and jumps up. “Shit, yeah, you’re right.”

They rush to get ready and make their way to the Convention Center, where they meet up with Felix and Ken. Their panels and signings are all finished, so they decide to spend their time as gamers rather than creators.

For Mark, the day passes in a blur of friendly competition and laughter. Fans spot them fairly often, and sometimes he obliges with signatures and hugs and pictures. Other times, he has to turn them down and keep moving, though he feels bad about it. Throughout the day, he sticks close to Jack, finding plenty of conspicuous reasons to touch him or brush past him. Amusingly, once Jack catches on to the game, it seems to fluster him more than any of the inappropriate jokes or fanservice or strip poker or kissing over the weekend did.

Every once in a while, Mark notices Felix eying them curiously. Every time he’s caught, though, he just gives a gentle, knowing smile and turns away again. Mark’s grateful that he doesn’t ask about it, but at the same time, it’s kind of frustrating. He almost wishes Felix _would_ ask, but he has no idea how he would answer.

That night, everyone meets up for dinner one last time. They all say their goodbyes and promise to keep in touch. Some members of their group shed a few tears, though Mark certainly isn’t one of them. Nope, of course not. He did not miss Wade and Bob enough to cry about leaving them again. Definitely not.

They head back to the hotel for the last night, and Jack’s on him the moment the door closes behind them. He kisses Mark roughly, gripping his arm. “You fucking tease,” he says, and it’s half-growl, half-laugh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mark says, chasing his lips.

Jack obliges for a few seconds before pulling away again. “Yes you do, you liar. All. Fucking. Day.” He emphasizes each word with another quick kiss.

Mark can’t help the quiet giggle that escapes him. “I really wasn’t trying to tease,” he insists. After a moment, he admits, “I just wanted to be close to you.”

“Really?” Jack asks, cheeks turning a light pink. He eyes Mark somewhat suspiciously.

“Really,” he confirms.

Jack kisses him again, softer and longer this time. Mark smiles into it, settling his hands at Jack’s waist and pulling him closer. Slowly, Jack’s grip slides from his arm to the nape of his neck. He pulls gently at the hair there, and Mark lets out a low moan.

Jack pulls away, swallowing thickly. Mark’s eyes open, and they just stare at each other for a few moments before Jack lunges back in. He walks backwards, pulling Mark along with him until the back of his knees hit one of the beds. He yanks his own shirt off, tossing it to the ground before tugging at Mark’s. He lifts his arms, helping Jack remove it, and Jack crawls onto the bed, pulling Mark down with him.

Mark props himself up over Jack on his elbows and they keep kissing until Mark moves down to his jaw and neck. Jack’s hands explore his chest and stomach, but when they move down to the button on his jeans, Mark jumps away.

“Shit, sorry, I--” Mark cuts himself off, shaking his head, and moves back again. Their lips meet again, but Jack lightly pushes him away after a few seconds.

“Are you okay, Mark?” he asks gently.

Mark sits up, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says, but it sounds forced.

“Are you sure?”

He lets out a deep sigh. “It’s just… I think this is a little too fast. I’m sorry,” he says. He sounds disappointed with himself.

Jack’s forehead wrinkles worriedly. “Hey, no, it’s okay. _I’m_ sorry. I didn’t mean to push you.”

Mark shakes his head. “You didn’t.”

“We can go as far—or not—as you want, okay? You’re in control, from now on. Do you wanna stop here now?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I’m sorry,” he repeats.

“Stop that. There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Jack runs a hand up and down Mark’s arm, and soon enough, the comforting touch and words seem to reassure him.

“Okay. Thanks, Jack. Uh, I’m just going to… Take a shower, ‘kay?” he says, gesturing towards the bathroom.

“Yeah, you do that. I’ll take one after you. Wanna watch another stupid movie afterwards?” he asks, grinning and elbowing him softly.

“Sure, that sounds good,” Mark says, returning the smile.

\-----

By the time he gets out of the shower, Mark’s calmed down a lot. That gets shot all to hell when he exits the bathroom to hear, “Love you too. Okay, goodnight. I’ll call you when I make it back to Ireland.”

“Signe?” he questions. At Jack’s nod, he panics a little. “What did she have to say?”

Luckily, Jack seems to understand that he’s asking about her reaction to _them_. “She’s fine with it. Happy for us, even. I told you she would be,” he says reassuringly.

“Oh.” He’s not sure why he’s surprised. “That’s good.”

“Mmhmm.” Jack smiles and tosses him the remote. “You go ahead and pick something while I shower, okay?”

“Sure,” Mark says, taking a seat on his bed. “Any preference?”

“Something we can laugh at.”

“Do you mean something that’s actually funny, or something that’s so stupid it’s funny?” he asks, quirking a grin.

Jack shrugs. “I don’t care. Your choice.”

“You might come to regret those words.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he says, and then he disappears through the doorway.

Mark sifts through the options for a while before settling on a comedy that he’d been meaning to go see. When Jack returns, he points to the screen. “Is this one okay with you?”

“Perfect,” he answers. He hovers awkwardly in the middle of the room for a few moments.

Mark gives him a confused look before he figures out the unspoken question hanging in the air. “Oh,” he says quietly, sliding over and patting the bed next to him.

Jack smiles and sits down, leaning lightly against him. Mark presses the play button and tries to relax, hesitantly placing his arm over Jack’s shoulders as the movie starts. He makes a small, contented sound and burrows closer, and Mark has to stifle a fond laugh, tightening his grip. Through the first few minutes, they occasionally shuffle around, but eventually, they find a position they’re both comfortable with.

When the movie ends and Jack doesn’t say a word, Mark cranes his neck to find that he’s asleep. _Apparently even crazy Irishmen need to recharge once in a while_ , he thinks, laughing to himself. He turns the television off and carefully maneuvers until he can lay down and get at least one of the many layers of covers over them. He stretches to turn off the lamp and settles in, dozing off almost immediately.


	6. Chapter 6

Mark wakes up slowly in the morning, gradually becoming aware of the arm around his middle and the soft kisses occasionally being pressed to his face. When he finally opens his eyes, Jack beams at him. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” he replies, voice tinged with amusement. Jack tries to kiss his cheek again, but he turns to catch his lips with his own instead.

Jack laughs and squeezes him tightly before standing up. “We should start packing,” he says regretfully, looking at the clothes scattered around the room.

Mark waves off the suggestion. “It won’t take that long.”

“Mark, check out is in half an hour.”

“Oh.” He sits up. “Oh, okay…”

“What time is your flight?” Jack asks, trying to feign disinterest.

“Noon. Yours?”

“One.”

Mark throws on some new clothes and heads for the bathroom to pack up his toiletries. He calls over his shoulder, “Do you want to get breakfast before we go to the airport?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” He’s trying to act like his usual happy self, but Mark can hear the lack of energy in his voice.

He doesn’t know how to fix it.

He’s feeling the same vague disappointment.

He doesn’t say anything.

\-----

There’s a different woman at the counter when they check out. This one doesn’t give them a second glance, tapping away at the computer before wishing them a safe journey with a plastic smile.

They toss their bags into the trunk of the rental car and drive aimlessly for a while. When Mark nearly turns the wrong way onto a one-way street the third time, they decided to just stop and eat at the closest restaurant they can find. It turns out to be a classic diner.

The place is crowded, but they’re seated soon enough and the dividers between booths make it seem a little less busy and a little more private.

They place their orders and make small talk, somewhat awkwardly pretending that they won’t be going their separate ways in a matter of hours. Mark notes with some surprise that this is actually the first time they’ve been out by themselves. Somehow, what surprises him even more is that it almost feels like a first date.

The realization makes him a bit self-conscious, like he should be trying to make a good first impression. He tries to come up with more witty remarks and almost uses a ridiculous pet name, but realizes just in time that he’s being stupid.

A good first impression? They made their first impressions of each other long ago. Jack already knows exactly what he’s like, and it hasn’t changed his mind yet.

He’s positive that they’ll leave today on good terms, whether it’s as friends or more. So he lets himself relax and just enjoy the moment while he can.

\-----

After breakfast, they drop off the rental car and take a shuttle back to Sea-Tac. The bus is quiet, filled with people clinging to each other before they have to say their goodbyes. It’s almost a relief when they arrive at the overcrowded airport.

Jack lingers at Mark’s gate until it’s time for him to board the plane, then pulls him in for a sudden kiss. Mark returns it for just a moment, then moves away with a quick squeeze to Jack’s hand, hoping that no fans were around to see that.

“Bye, Mark,” Jack says with a weak smile.

“Bye. Let me know when you make it home, okay?”

“Sure.”

They go their separate ways, and Mark feels his heart sinking with every step, a physical ache in his chest. It’s stupid. They’ll talk to each other in less than a day. It’s not like this is the last time they’ll see each other.

So why does it feel like it is?

He moves through the line at a snail’s pace, eventually finds his seat on the plane, and drowns out the flight attendant’s instructions, staring out the window. His mood lifts a bit when they take off, though; it’s always amazing to watch the world shrink beneath him until the people and cars and even buildings disappear.

The flight isn’t very long, but it’s enough time for Mark to start thinking and worrying. It finally occurs to him that he and Jack never defined what they were; and even if they had, the distance would change things, right?

After he lands and makes it home, he types out a text. _What are we?_ It’s stupidly simple, but sometimes simple is best. It doesn’t leave room for miscommunication.

He hits send before he can second-guess himself, confidence bolstered by the fact that Jack will be hopping between flights and won’t see it for several more hours. Soon after, he passes out on his bed, still fully clothed, the exhaustion from the weekend finally catching up with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost to the end! I'm uploading two very short chapters tonight, and sometime in the next week, the epilogue will be up. I hope you guys have enjoyed this ridiculousness!

Mark wakes up, disoriented, to a pitch-black room. It takes a few seconds to realize that he’s awake now because he fell asleep way too early. It takes a few _more_ seconds to remember the message he’d sent Jack. His heart leaps into his throat, but before he can truly panic or regret what was already done, he grabs his phone. The screen is blinding, but once his eyes adjust he finds that Jack had in fact replied.

_I thought we had already figured this out? Look Mark, I’ll be blunt. I’d like it if you were my boyfriend. But we can be whatever you want us to._

He can’t help the goofy smile that overtakes his face as he reads the message. He takes a moment to consider it, but really, he already knows his answer.

_No, that’s perfect. I’d like that too._

The screen goes black after a few seconds and Mark sets it on his nightstand. He considers going back to sleep, but he has too much energy and his mind is whirring at a hundred miles an hour. _Might as well get some work done_ , he decides. After all, he was going to be playing catch-up for a while.

His phone buzzes as he turns on his lights and computer. Apparently Jack can’t sleep either, even though he usually runs on L.A. time too. _Good. I miss you already._

It’s the perfect opening to start a heartfelt conversation where he’d undoubtedly say more than he should, but he’s already in the mindset to work. Besides, he shouldn’t encourage Jack’s habit of staying up all night and day. So instead, he just taps out, _I miss you too. I’m gonna start recording soon, so I’ll talk to you later ok?_

_Alright, have fun! <3_

Mark stares at the little heart for a minute, his own speeding up just a bit. _Don’t overanalyze it_ , he scolds himself after a minute. He shakes his head, laughing at himself, and sets his phone out of reach as he starts searching through his game list.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... There's a time skip of several months here, because frankly, I hate/am horrible at writing the parts where they're already together. Sorry!

If anyone had told Mark a year ago that he would ever use Skype for sex with his long-distance, polyamorous boyfriend, he would have laughed and told them they were crazy for many, many reasons. Yet, that’s exactly what he had just done, and not for the first time.

“I’m back,” he says as he sits back down at the computer after washing up. Jack jolts, looking over from another screen. He stares silently for a minute, biting his lip. “Everything okay?” Mark asks, brow furrowed.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s just… I’ve been talking to Signe,” Jack says, a slight tint to his cheeks. Mark looks at him curiously, and he continues, “She’d like to talk to you, too… Get to know you.”

The way that he says “get to know you” seem to imply that maybe there’s more to it than he’s letting on, and after a few seconds, Mark understands why he’s blushing. “Oh… Um, yeah, that’d be… That’d be nice,” he replies. “The talking, I mean. Um, we can figure out anything else… later? I mean, I’m sure she’s great, but we don’t really know each other and--” He realizes that he’s rambling and shuts his mouth with a nearly audible ‘click.’

Jack waves his hands in front of him, turning an even brighter shade of red. “Right, of course! I didn’t mean immediately! Not that anything has to happen at all, I won’t pressure you or anything, and she won’t either, of course. It’s totally up to you! We just thought it might be nice if all three of us--”

“Jack, calm down,” Mark says with a chuckle. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.”

“Right, yeah. Sorry,” he says, voice tinted with nervous laughter.

“It’s okay,” Mark repeats. He wishes he could be there in person, to offer a comforting touch, too, instead of just words. “No matter what, I’m here for you, and Signe’s here for you. I promise. And we’ll talk and think about the rest of it over time.”

“Thanks.” Jack sighs and visibly relaxes, shoulders dropping. “Sorry I kinda freaked out there.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he says. When Jack glances back to his other monitor and there’s a few seconds of typing and clicking noises, he asks, “What are you working on?”

Jack beams and sends him a screenshot. “Actually, I was thinking of changing things up…” he starts, excited to tell Mark about his plans for a big project. His enthusiasm is infectious, and Mark finds himself grinning back and feeling more motivated himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we started this about six months in the past, and now it's ending with another big time jump that puts us sometime into the future.
> 
> I actually wrote most of this really early on, when the first few chapters were posted. I'm not sure why, but it was one of my favorites. I really had fun writing it. Well anyways, without further ado, here's the epilogue!

Mark is scrolling through twitter when a message pops up on Skype, informing him that Jack is calling. He answers it and smiles when he sees both Jack and Signe on the screen. “Hey. What’s up, guys?”

“Well, Signe leaves tonight,” Jack says, though he looks suspiciously happy. Mark doesn’t even have the chance to question this before he gets an answer. “She’s going to start packing for the move as soon as she gets back.”

“That’s great,” Mark replies with a grin. “Finally moving to be with him in Ireland, huh?”

“Well, not quite…” Signe answers, head tilted in a faux innocent look. “We were actually thinking about making the move to America.”

“O-oh? Is that so?” Mark stutters, heart racing. Surely they aren’t saying what he thinks they are.

“Yeah. You know, all the Youtube stuff and most of my friends are there, so I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” Jack’s trying to match his girlfriend’s innocent expression, but he isn’t nearly as good at hiding his mischievous smile.

“Anywhere in particular in mind?” Mark asks, feigning nonchalance.

Signe hums in thought. “Well, we were thinking maybe L.A. In fact, we already have a place picked out.”

She goes silent, typing, and then a link appears on the screen. Mark clicks it and reads over the page for a minute. It’s a fairly large house, and it’s only a few blocks from his own. He can’t help the giddy laughter that bubbles out of his throat, and he hears it echoed from the other two as they finally break their act. “Oh my God, I…” He doesn’t even know how to finish that thought; there are so many things running through his mind that he can’t voice any of them. “When are you moving?”

“Beginning of next month,” Jack answers with a toothy grin. “There’s still some packing to do, but we’ve been planning for a while and already talked to the real estate people. We wanted it to be a surprise, but it was so fucking hard to keep it from you.”

“Well, you did a good job. I had no idea,” Mark admits. “Wow.”

“Wow is right,” Signe says, eyes crinkling with her smile. Her voice softens. “We can’t wait to see you again.”

“I can’t wait to see you, either. It’ll be… amazing to have you so close, permanently.”

Jack coos teasingly. “Aww, you two are so cute. Sorry to break it up, but we need to get Signe ready for her flight,” he says, giving her a quick kiss.

“Right, of course. I’ll let you go now,” Mark says. “Thanks for telling me the great news. Love you.”

“Love you too,” they chorus, and Jack adds, “See you in a few weeks!”

“Yeah, see you then,” he answers, logging out of Skype and turning his helpless grin to the ceiling. “Just three weeks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ETA: So, since there seems to be a little bit of interest in a continuation, and I got some unexpected inspiration, I'm going to be writing a sequel for this. However, it will probably be a while before it's out, as I don't want to rush and make it horrible. Also, Signe would be a main character, which means I need some time to learn more about her so I can hopefully do her some justice in writing. So look forward to that... Sometime. I honestly have no idea when, I'm sorry. Until then, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next one! Buh-bye! :P
> 
> ETA again: satans_cinnamonroll has written an adorable Mark/Jack/Signe ficlet that I am absolutely flattered my fic was named as an inspiration for! Go check it out! :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [wide awake in an unfamiliar place](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6224071) by [satans_cinnamonroll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/satans_cinnamonroll/pseuds/satans_cinnamonroll)




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